Read the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Outbreak summary here.
The initial Salmonella case was reported to Williamson County and Cities Health District (WCCHD) in Texas by Seton Medical Center on March 25, 2021. All Salmonella samples are genotyped in the state, and due to this genotyping, the state linked it to the multi-state outbreak that was ongoing with the CDC.
WCCHD Environmental Health (EH) was notified by WCCHD Epidemiology (Epi) on April 14, 2021, that Texas Department of State Health Services and the CDC requested environmental sampling.
The suspected source of the outbreak in Williamson County was a pair of pet turtles smaller than four inches. This size is too small to be legally allowed for sale due to the increased Salmonella risk associated with turtles under four inches.
An Environmental Health and Epidemiology team went onsite to the commercial pet store implicated in the outbreak. Samples were taken from the different turtle tank habitats and came back positive for Salmonella.
The mother of the sick children also invited EH and Epi to come to their home and take samples. The attached pictures are of WCCHD Registered Sanitarian Supervisor, Ms. Jovette Newton, sampling the baby slider turtles.
WCCHD Environmental Health worked with the pet store owner to determine the source of the turtles and the CDC was able to find a common link - a turtle farm in Florida.
The pet stores and turtle farms were educated about Salmonella risks from pet turtles and were encouraged to educate their customers as well.
